Menopause support

WHEREAS, Menopause is experienced when menstruation stops 1
permanently, either naturally or medically-induced; and2
WHEREAS, All people who have menstrual periods will experience 3
menopause at some point in their lives, as such millions of 4
Americans, particularly older women, experience menopause each year; 5
and 6
WHEREAS, Many women in the United States enter the menopausal 7
transition with little guidance on what to expect before, during, and 8
after their reproductive years; and 9
WHEREAS, Transgender and nonbinary people who enter menopause 10
face particular challenges due to the lack of relevant research and 11
medical resources tailored to their needs; and 12
WHEREAS, Menopausal symptoms have the potential to be intense, 13
disrupting daily routines and overall well-being, and can last for 14
several years; and 15
WHEREAS, The vast potential impacts of menopause encompass a wide 16
range of side effects that may include osteoporosis, oral and dental 17
problems, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, 18
lung diseases, infectious diseases, musculoskeletal problems, urinary 19
problems, breast cancer, defecation problems, genital disorders, 20
special diseases such as eye diseases and hypothyroidism, conditions 21
requiring hormone therapy, mental disorders, diminished cognitive 22
function, sleep disorders, sexual disorders, diminished physical 23
SENATE RESOLUTION
8657
By Senators Cleveland, Bateman, Cortes, Dhingra, Krishnadasan, Lovelett, Nobles,
Orwall, Robinson, Shewmake, Trudeau, Warnick, Slatter, and C. Wilson
p. 1 8657
activity, the need for supplement consumption, public health 1
issues, needed additional health education, heightened fall 2
risk, and diminished nutrition; and 3
WHEREAS, Menopausal symptoms are unique for each individual 4
in duration and severity, and cannot be addressed easily or 5
simply with one size fits all recommendations or solutions; and6
WHEREAS, Researchers around the world have found that 7
women's health decreases after menopause, and that more and 8
better education on preventive actions and behaviors could 9
reduce menopausal complications and improve women's health; and10
WHEREAS, While the duration of menopause can vary, many 11
postmenopausal women will spend up to 40 percent of their lives 12
dealing with menopausal symptoms; and 13
WHEREAS, Women of color are more likely to experience 14
menopause early, leading to a 40 percent higher risk of 15
developing coronary heart disease over their lifetime; and16
WHEREAS, AARP research has found 56 percent of women 35 and 17
older in the workforce say menopause is taboo, stigmatized, 18
uncomfortable, not discussed in the workplace, and can possibly 19
lead to discrimination; and 20
WHEREAS, Nearly 11 percent of women aged 45 to 60 miss work 21
due to symptoms of menopause; and 22
WHEREAS, The annual cost for those missed work days is $1.8 23
billion, yet does not account for reduced work hours, employment 24
loss, or early retirement; 25
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate support 26
efforts to provide tools and treatment to improve quality of 27
life and health outcomes for those affected by menopause; and28
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be 29
immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the 30
Washington state Department of Health and the Governor of the 31
State of Washington. 32
I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate, 33
do hereby certify that this is a true and 34
correct copy of Senate Resolution 8657, 35
adopted by the Senate 36
p. 2 8657
April 23, 2025 1
SARAH BANNISTER 2
Secretary of the Senate 3
p. 3 8657